Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies (SALTUS) is a NASA Astrophysics Probe Explorer (APEX)-class mission concept employing a robust far-infrared pointed space observatory. SALTUS comprises a 14-m inflatable reflector that provides 16× the sensitivity and 4× the angular resolution of Herschel, with a sunshield that radiatively cools the primary to 45 K, along with cryogenic detectors that collectively span the 34 to 660 μm far-infrared spectral range at high and moderate spectral resolutions. The high sensitivity and high spectral resolving power of the SALTUS heterodyne receivers enable both submillimeter and far-infrared observations of trace compounds comprising water and its isotopologues, hydrogen deuteride (HD), and a plethora of molecular species containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, or sulfur (CHNOPS), all of which are obscured by the Earth’s atmosphere. The high sensitivity and broadband spectral coverage of the SALTUS far-infrared grating spectrometer enables far-infrared observations of the lattice vibrational spectral signatures of ices and mineral grains contained within a wide variety of solar system targets, including comets, planetary atmospheres, near Enceladus’ plumes, and on the surfaces of icy moons, Jupiter trojans, centaurs, and Kuiper Belt objects. A key objective of SALTUS is to measure HDO/H2O in both Jupiter family and Oort cloud comets. Additional observations will allow us to characterize the water torus around Saturn generated by its icy moon Enceladus, determine the source of stratospheric water in the giant planets, ascertain the time evolution of water on Venus, and search for H2O plumes on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. SALTUS will measure HD/H2 in all four giant planets to constrain models of their origin. SALTUS can also measure the abundance of CHNOPS-containing molecules and halides in the atmosphere of Venus and in the comae of comets. We review the extensive amount of solar system science achievable with SALTUS for both the Guaranteed Time Observation and the Guest Observer APEX mission observing programs.

中文翻译：

---

太阳系科学与单孔径大望远镜用于宇宙研究空间天文台


用于宇宙研究的单孔径大型望远镜 (SALTUS) 是 NASA 天体物理探测器探索者 (APEX) 级任务概念，采用强大的远红外指向空间天文台。 SALTUS 包括一个 14 米的充气反射器，可提供 16 倍的灵敏度和 4 倍的赫歇尔角分辨率，带有可将初级辐射冷却至 45 K 的遮阳罩，以及共同跨越 34 至 660 μm 远红外的低温探测器高和中等光谱分辨率的光谱范围。 SALTUS 外差接收器的高灵敏度和高光谱分辨率能够对痕量化合物进行亚毫米和远红外观测，这些化合物包括水及其同位素体、氘化氢 (HD) 以及含有碳、氢、氮、氧的多种分子物质、磷或硫（CHNOPS），所有这些都被地球大气层掩盖了。 SALTUS 远红外光栅光谱仪的高灵敏度和宽带光谱覆盖范围能够对各种太阳系目标（包括土卫二附近的彗星、行星大气）中所含的冰和矿物颗粒的晶格振动光谱特征进行远红外观测。羽状物，以及冰卫星、木星特洛伊、半人马和柯伊伯带天体的表面。 SALTUS 的一个主要目标是测量木星家族和奥尔特云彗星中的 HDO/H2O。额外的观测将使我们能够描述土星周围由冰冷的卫星土卫二产生的水环的特征，确定巨型行星中平流层水的来源，确定金星上水的时间演化，并在木卫二、木卫三和木卫二上寻找水羽流。卡利斯托。 SALTUS 将测量所有四颗巨行星的 HD/H2，以约束其起源模型。 SALTUS 还可以测量金星大气层和彗星彗发中含有 CHNOPS 的分子和卤化物的丰度。我们回顾了 SALTUS 在保证时间观测和客座观察者 APEX 任务观测计划中可实现的大量太阳系科学成果。